City manager finalists emphasized the importance of communication and teamwork during separate interviews with the City Council Thursday afternoon.

Candidate Adam Thompson said he has worked with the city of Muscatine, Iowa, where he is director of economic development of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce, to think of its citizens as customers and their job as customer service. A big part of that, he said, is communicating with residents — customers — about what they want.

Communication is also a large part of relationship-building, he said.

For candidate David Todd, “the free flow of communication I think is paramount to establish trust.”

Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr. told candidate Willie Morales that the city values its staff and is looking for someone who will continue to challenge them.

This is what candidate David Todd said is one skill in his wheelhouse: the ability to bring the best out of staff through an inclusive management style that provides room for department heads and staff — the city’s “lifeblood” — to expand. 

“What I bring to the table is a leadership quality that would assimilate well,” Todd said. Todd is the city administrator for Pine Island.

Rasmussen said it is also important for staff to be unafraid to fail sometimes. For Morales, superseding failure is from where the most incredible reward and growth comes, he said.

“I’m not here as your perfect candidate,” Morales said. “I’m somebody who’s made mistakes … and has failed before. Part of success is learning to fight through failure.”

Morales, former city administrator for Northfield, Massachusetts, described himself as a manager who likes to give department heads the autonomy to implement their expertise under his own “careful guidance.”

The best way to create a work environment where people want to come in to work?

“You get out of their way,” Morales said.

According to Thompson, creating a desirable work environment means not killing motivation and excitement with the word “no,” he said.

“I want to hear and know and understand the ideas and passion of our staff and our leadership team, and beyond, the citizens of Albert Lea,” Thompson said. “That is extremely, extremely important.”

However, Third Ward Councilor Jason Howland told Thompson he would be required to make decisions and say no. He asked whether Thompson recognized this.

Yes, Thompson said, but his approach would include a process of vetting ideas and understanding where they come from first.

All three candidates shared experiences working with economic development projects, handling budgets — though in different facets — and collaborating with other units of government. Each gave an example of how they worked creatively — Todd and Thompson with funding, and Morales with helping pave the way for broadband service in a previous community. 

Thompson said the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce had the same funding level for 12 years.

“But no one tried for more,” he said.

Now, he said the organization is expecting a 30% funding increase, which will translate to about $80,000 of resources toward things like workforce and education.

Todd described a pool project that ran over budget and therefore did not allow the city to purchase deck furnishings or umbrellas. They reached out to the nearby Prairie Island Indian Community, which wrote a check to supply those furnishings.

“Sometimes, you have to get creative when budget funds only go so far,” Todd said.

Fourth Ward Councilor Reid Olson asked candidate Adam Thompson — but not candidates Morales or Todd — if he would accept the job if offered. (He would.)

But Howland asked how Thompson would respond to questions related to his own lack of experience as a city manager.

Thompson said he had a mentor in the Muscatine city administrator, with whom Thompson said he shares a drive to do more and be more beyond the status quo. Additionally, he intends to go after a city manager certification.

“It’s all about soaking it up along the way,” Thompson said. “… I know that I can do this job efficiently and effectively for the community.”

Should they become city manager, each of the three men had different ideas for how they would integrate into the community. Morales said he would be present at almost all community functions within the first three months of the job, try to take part in as many citizen-involving projects as possible and potentially hold open-door hours for city residents to drop by and meet him. Todd said he intends to participate in ad-hoc meetings and quasi-governmental meetings, attend city festivals and walk around to meet people. Thompson has been involved in coaching and is active in scouting in Muscatine, he said, and as his children become involved in sports, athletics and education, it is his intent to become involved in those as well.

To create a positive work environment, Todd also said he likes to bring some humor to the table. When Rasmussen asked him if he had any questions for the council, Todd responded quickly.

“Can we turn up the air in here?” he said.